Testimony resumes Wednesday for day 2 of Michael Rosfeld trial

PITTSBURGH - The trial for former police officer Michael Rosfeld started Tuesday morning. Jurors will decide in the coming days whether Rosfeld’s actions were justified when he shot and killed unarmed 17-year-old Antwon Rose in East Pittsburgh last June.

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UPDATE 5:15 p.m. Tuesday: A woman who lives in the home next to where Rose was shot took the witness stand describing what she saw.

Channel 11's Michele Newell was in the coutroom as the woman described Rosfeld handcuffing the driver, then ordering the two passengers to get out. The woman said she saw both passengers run away, and Rosfeld shoot at Rose.

UPDATE 4:00 p.m. Tuesday: Much of the testimonty Tuesday afternoon focused on a drive-by shooting that occurred in North Braddock 13 minutes before Rose was shot and killed.

Rose was in the car involved in the drive-by, but prosecutors say he was not the shooter. Zaijuan Hester pleaded guilty to the shooting last week.

UPDATE 1:30 p.m. Tuesday: The Medical Examiner was the first to testify in the homicide trial of Michael Rosfeld. Details from Antwon Rose's autopsy were shared.

Graphic photos showing Rose's gunshot wounds were also displayed for the jury and courtroom.

UPDATE 11:30 a.m. Tuesday: Antwon Rose’s mother became emotional during the defense’s opening statements. She left the courtroom before autopsy photos of her son were shown.

MORE: Rose’s mother got very emotional during the defense’s opening statements and left the courtroom before very graphic autopsy photos were shown. My colleague @WPXIMikeHolden will have a live report at Noon on Channel 11 News. #wpxi

Fitzsimmons said the focus will be on what Rosfeld knew at the time he pulled the trigger, shooting Rose three times.

Rosfeld’s defense attorney, Patrick Thomassey, said Rosfeld was just trying to protect and serve. He said Rosfeld worked in a high-crime area and that an officer was shot at days earlier.

“One thing I was hoping the DA would tell us is what did Mike Rosfeld do wrong as a police officer? And I’ve been waiting for that for 10 months,” Thomassey said.

Thomassey said Rosfeld had to make a split-second decision. He highlighted that Rosfeld was doing his duty, alleging Rose and Hester tried to murder two people up the road.

Thomassey said the biggest concern was over public safety because the shooting happened outside a senior citizen center. He said Rose and Hester could have gone into the center and potentially held hostages.

UPDATE 8:45 a.m. Tuesday: A statement was released on behalf of Antwon Rose’s family by Fred Rabner, an attorney representing the family.

The statement said, in part:

“Antwon Rose II’s family and friends are braced for a trial centered around their most painful loss, the one caused when Michael Rosfeld’s service weapon left an irreparable hole in their collective souls. To them and the many watching this unfold, locally and all over the Country, a conviction of Rosfeld, would be a momentous first step towards restoring justice and give this hurting family some semblance of peace.”

UPDATE 8:10 a.m. Tuesday: Supporters of Antwon Rose were asked to remove a picture of the 17-year-old from city property at the Allegheny County Courthouse.